Prayer

What is prayer?

Prayer for most people is no more than words of hope – spoken in times of distress and desperation. People turn to prayer even before they turn to God – or even accept His reality. Followers of false gods, fake prophets, and man-made religions pray without power and almost always see their prayers go unanswered.

For born-again believers in Jesus Christ, prayer is much more than this. Prayer is not hoping or wishful thinking; prayer is petition and expectation. We, as believers in Christ, come to God with confidence and belief in Him as our loving provider.

We know our Father God is;

The LORD That Heals – Jehovah RAPHA’ (Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 53:4,5)

The Creator of All Things – Jehovah HOSEENA (Psalm 95:6)

The LORD God – Jehovah ‘ELOHIM (Genesis 2:4)

The LORD our Strength – Jehovah ‘OZ (Exodus 15:2, Jeremiah 16:19)

The LORD our Savior – Jehovah YASHA (Isaiah 49:26)

Prayer is the channel of communication Father God has given His children – in order to provide for us in all things. To receive all that our Father provides, we must pray in faith – believing we have received before we see His provision.

Why should we pray?

When should we pray?

We should pray whenever we have a need that isn’t being met by our own actions or the actions of those around us.

Read our lesson on When To Pray

Who should we pray to?

We should pray to our Father in Heaven.

Read our lesson on Who to Pray To

What should we pray for?

We pray for our needs, knowing that our Father in Heaven knows what we need and has already provided for us in the spiritual realm. Our prayer (communication with Him) opens the door to receive His blessing.

Which is the best prayer for our situation?

There are several ways to pray; as a group, as an individual, knowing God’s Will and not knowing God’s Will. We must study and know God’s Word (The Holy Bible – King James Version in English) to learn what God’s character, purpose, and plan is; this will help us to turn to Him in prayer in a way that will please Him.

Why are some prayers answered and not others?

Prayer is a powerful tool and one that God has given us to fix our situation, repair our lives, strengthen our spirit, help others, and build a future for ourselves that pleases God. There are thousands of examples of people coming to God in prayer and receiving miracles – improving their health, finances, marriages, personal lives, and employment situations.

There are also times when God does not give you the answer you want or expect from your prayer. This can be for a number of reasons;

Before you come to God in prayer, seek forgiveness for your sins, repent and believe that God has forgiven you. If you are holding onto any grudges or anger, you should also forgive others.

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.